“When a small amount of blood is treated through photoluminescence, an astounding thing happens. Through some mechanism that is not completely understood, the body’s defenses are organized rapidly to destroy all invading organisms, whether viral, fungal, or bacterial. The immune system comes to life and rapidly brings the body back to a state of balance.” 1 — Dr. William Campbell Douglas II

You don’t think about it in your daily routine but you live in a state of continuous biological warfare. Microbial invaders are testing your defenses as you read this. Viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites use their millions of years of evolution-earned tricks to try and gain the upper hand in the battle – and eat you alive.

The reason you don’t usually notice this life-and-death struggle is that you have one of the greatest wonders in all of biology dutifully and automatically winning this battle for you – your immune system. Take it away and the attacking hordes win, have you for lunch, and you die a most unpleasant death within days.

So with this wondrous defense system, why do some people get sick more than others? And why, throughout most of the populated world, do people get sick more often in winter? Something about the winter must compromise our immune defense.

As you’ll soon see, our native sun, from which we have all but divorced ourselves, forms a critical element in a strong immune defense. 1 Douglass, WC. (2003). Into the Light: Tomorrow’s Medicine Today. Panama City, Panama: Rhino Publishing. p. 11. 2

Sunlight not only ramps up your defenses, but it also fine tunes your response to make fewer mistakes. You’ll see how important this is because mistakes of your immune system — like “friendly fire” in war — can sometimes do as much damage to your health as the enemy.

The chart below shows how profoundly and directly sunshine impacts the cells of your immune system.

The Sun Helps Regulate Your Immunity

Your immune system also uses cells called macrophages to fight disease. They work like little “pac men'' in your cells. Macrophages ingest any invading, unwanted substances. When you have an infection, macrophages help to fight it.

Sunlight and vitamin D are critical for activating and supporting your immune cells, especially macrophages and T-cells.2 They also help fight inflammation, making them a critical component of the healing process.

Protect Yourself from Pain and Inflammation

Arthritis is a very common and growing problem. In fact, an estimated 43 million adult Americans suffer pain from arthritis. The Center for Disease Control estimates 60 million adults will be afflicted with arthritis in the coming decade.3

One of the most devastating types of arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis or RA. RA is an autoimmune disease. That means that a mistake of your immune system causes it to attack you instead of the microbial enemy.

In rheumatoid arthritis, white blood cells attack the lining of your joint causing inflammation. The white blood cells may eventually attack the cartilage, as well. This leads to pain and joint damage.

It may take years to cause a visible deformity of the joint, but we now know that bone and cartilage damage begins in the first couple of years after rheumatoid arthritis sets in making early diagnosis and treatment paramount.

Sunlight Health Research Center recently reported a clinical trial where vitamin D helped reduce the activity of rheumatoid arthritis. “Therapy showed a positive effect on disease activity in 89% of the patients (45% with complete remission and 45% with a satisfactory effect). Only two patients (11%) showed no improvement, but no new symptoms occurred.”

Arthritis & Rheumatism reported that supplementing with at least 400 IU of vitamin D each day reduces the risk of rheumatoid arthritis by 34%. A 1996 study showed that arthritis progressed more rapidly in those with low vitamin D intake.5 And lastly, an Iowa Women's Health Study of nearly 30,000 women in their 50s and 60s found that rheumatoid arthritis went down as dietary vitamin D increased.

If you have RA, get your vitamin D levels tested. If your levels are low follow the recommendations for aggressive boosting of your vitamin D to a blood level of at least 50. With proper supplementation, you can reduce your risk, slow the progression of the disease and even relieve symptoms.

Prevent a Lifelong Degenerative Condition

As many as 2.5 million people worldwide have Multiple Sclerosis. About 250,000 people in the U.S. have this potentially devastating disease. MS is a degenerative disease that disrupts communication between the brain and other parts of the body.

MS is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS). It causes the body’s immune system to attack its own tissues — in this case, the myelin sheath that insulates the nerves.

It is still not fully understood what causes these neurological “short circuits.” Since there is no cure for MS, and the medicine used to treat it often comes with serious side effects. Prevention is key.

➤ Low vitamin D intake raises your risk—There's a lot of evidence to show that low vitamin D intake is a key risk factor for MS. A study by Harvard University shows that supplementing with 400 IU per day of vitamin D cut the risk of MS by 40%.6

➤ Vitamin D decreases the intensity of the autoimmune response — Vitamin D helps the immune system distinguish body tissues from foreign material. In MS the body mistakes the tissues that insulate nerves as foreign and works to destroy it. Vitamin D decreases the intensity of the autoimmune response and reduce the severity of symptoms.

➤ Vitamin D produces anti-inflammatory effects — Inflammation is a hallmark of MS. A natural “immuno-regulator,” vitamin D produces anti-inflammatory effects.

➤ Sunlight exposure reduces risk — Studies show that people who were exposed to a lot of sunlight in their childhood are less likely to get the disease. Frequent sunburns in childhood are actually associated with reduced risk of multiple sclerosis later in life. Obviously it is not the sunburns, but the sun exposure.

➤ Occupation and residential sun exposure reduces risk — Researchers in Maryland studied all deaths from MS over a 10 year period in 24 states. They found that people who get sun exposure as part of their job had lower mortality from MS.

Higher degrees of sun exposure reduced the incidence of death by as much as 76%.8 Prevent Parkinson’s Disease with Vitamin D Korean researchers discovered that vitamin D functions like a natural anti-inflammatory agent that can help prevent Parkinson's disease.

The study involved 85 Parkinson's patients and a control group of 200 healthy patients. The study showed that variations or mutations in a vitamin D receptor gene made the Parkinson’s patients more susceptible to the disease.9 Benefit

Every Day from a Healthier Immune Defense We’ve come a long way in fighting infectious disease over the past 150 years. Improvements in sanitation, nutrition, and living conditions have all helped put an end to disease. Yet research proves that we should not cut our ties from to sunshine and the many ways it boosts our defense to infectious diseases:

➤ Flu and cancer causing viruses — UV light destroys the flu virus outside the body. In 1976, Heding found that UV light could destroy disease-causing viruses.10

➤ Chronic viral infections in the blood — Sunlight passes through the outer layers of the skin. It irradiates the blood in the capillaries, helping to kill chronic viral infections.

➤ Decontaminating blood used for transfusions — New technologies can decontaminate blood using UV light. Using the photosensitive chemical Photofrin combined with UV radiation, researchers have been able to kill 100% of the viruses causing AIDS, cold sores, and other illnesses without damaging healthy blood cells.11

➤ Bacteria on us and around us — Sun exposure increases your resistance to illness. It kills germs on the surface of your skin. Sun exposure not only kills bacteria directly, it causes the oils within the skin to have their own bactericidal effect. Building your immune system pays big benefits in overall health.

With a stronger immune system, you reduce your chances of getting a cold or the flu. You also have the ability to fight off infectious diseases and any other pathogens. Strengthen Sunlight’s Effect On Your Immune System Other research suggests that vitamin D has stronger immune boosting and cancer fighting effects when it’s in the presence of antioxidants.12

To strengthen your immunity, especially in winter, create an action plan to make sure you’re getting enough antioxidants. The most potent antioxidants are vitamins E and C, glutathione, and coenzyme Q10.

Herbs and spices like rosemary and curcumin are also loaded with antioxidants. Start by checking your multivitamin. You want to get 1000 mg of vitamin C, 400 IU of mixed tocopherol vitamin E, and 100 mg of CoQ10. Beta carotene and other carotenoids help your body to create vitamin A.

You want to get enough mixed carotenoids for 25,000 IU of vitamin A activity. If your multivitamin doesn't contain these doses, you'll want to add in other supplements to give your antioxidants a little boost. Of course, the best way to get your antioxidants is through food.

Brightly colored fruits and vegetables are good sources of vitamins C and beta carotene. Grass-fed beef and fish are good sources of vitamin E and Coenzyme Q10. Finally, make a commitment to use more fresh herbs and spices in your cooking.

Herbs and spices are dense in antioxidants and they add variety and flavor. Supplementing with Vitamin D3 In recent years, new research points to higher doses being necessary to lift blood levels of vitamin D3 to therapeutic levels.

For maximum benefit, ask your doctor to test your D3 levels. This is the only way to know where you stand, and how much you need to take to keep your levels consistently high.

For some people, a daily dose of 2,000 to 4,000 IUs is enough. Others need 6,000 to 8,000 IUs. There may be times when you need a temporary boost from higher doses, then follow up with a lower maintenance dose. Knowing your blood levels is key. Don’t be afraid to ask your doctor for a vitamin D3 test. The strength of your immunity depends on it.

How to Choose Indoor Lights for Better Health and Stronger Immunity

“The light of the body is your eye; when your eye is clear, your whole body is clear, your whole body is also full of light; but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness.” — Luke 11:34

Many of us spend all our waking hours under lights that don't mimic sunlight. There's a drawback to being inside under artificial light all day. Most indoor lights do not give us the UV energy we are built to flourish under. Fortunately, there's something that you can do right now in your office space or home to improve your health and immunity.

Light bulbs that emit a spectrum similar to that of natural sunlight are available. And, there are other things you can do to bring sunlight into your indoor spaces. You'll cut down on germs and sickness. You’ll improve your vitamin D levels. And, you'll brighten everyone's mood.

What is Full Spectrum Lighting And Why is It Important?

Photo Biologists first coined the term full-spectrum in the 1960’s to describe electric lights closest to the natural spectrum. These lights simulate the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum of natural sunlight. Full spectrum light provides a number of health benefits from helping prevent skin cancer to increasing learning ability and reducing stress.

Fluorescent Lights May Increase Risk of Skin Cancer

Studies implicate fluorescent lighting in the formation of melanoma. This could explain why more office workers get melanoma than do outdoor workers.13 14 UVC radiation, which the atmosphere normally filters out, is present in some artificial lights.

Fluorescent lights may contribute to skin cancer by emitting UVC without atmospheric filtration. In 1980, German doctor Fritz Hollwich compared the effects of fluorescent and full-spectrum lights on the hormonal system. The fluorescent lights produced high levels of stress hormones in the subjects.

The subjects under full-spectrum lights had normal levels of stress hormones.15 In Germany, cool-white fluorescent bulbs are actually banned in hospitals and medical facilities based on this research.

Farmed Chickens Get it... How About You?

Chicken farmers now raise their indoor birds under full-spectrum lighting. As a result, the chickens live twice as long, lay more eggs, they are less aggressive to other birds, and their eggs even have 25% less cholesterol.

The cholesterol lowering effect of full spectrum lighting is exactly the same for us, yet most of us have yet to change our working conditions. Does it make sense for chickens to reap the benefits of full spectrum lighting while we work under lights linked to cancer?

Full-Spectrum Lighting — A Full Spectrum of Health Benefits

Here is a small sampling of the evidence for the health benefits of fullspectrum lights.

➤ Reduced risk of breast and colon cancer — A long-term population study conducted by Johns Hopkins University Medical School showed exposure to full-spectrum artificial lighting reduces risk of breast and colon cancer.16

➤ Reduced risk of tumors — Dr. John Ott conducted an experiment in 1964 where mice bred to produce tumors were kept under three different types of light: cool white, pink fluorescent, and full-spectrum.17

Those under pink lights developed tumors first (after 42 weeks). Those under cool white lights developed tumors after 47 weeks. Under fullspectrum lights, they developed tumors after 51 weeks.

➤ Increased calcium absorption — Researchers at the Chelsea, Massachusetts Soldiers’ Home conducted a study to see if UV light helped veterans absorb more calcium. Since it was winter, they used full-spectrum lights instead of sunlight.18

The group without UV light showed a 25% decrease in calcium absorption. The group with UV light increased calcium absorption by 15%. Those with exposure to UV absorbed 40% more calcium from the exact same diet.

➤ Less illness in office buildings and schools — UV full-spectrum lighting reduces illness in office buildings and schools. This is due to the antiviral and antibacterial properties of UV light.

➤ Less infection after operations — In 1935, Dr. Deryl Hart of Duke University became disturbed by the number of infections following surgical procedures. Dr. Hart was able to grow 78 different colonies of bacteria in one Petri dish left in an operating room.19

To remedy the situation, Dr. Hart suspended ultraviolet lights from the ceiling of the operating room. He found the lights were able to kill all the bacteria within 8 feet in less than 10 minutes. This was at a low intensity.

➤ Less colds and sore throats — In Russia, they've used full spectrum lighting in factories for a long time. They found it helps to prevent colds and sore throats among the workers. The low intensity UV exposure reduces bacterial contamination of the air by 40% to 70%. Their counterparts with no UV light were absent due to sickness twice as much. 20

What Kind of Lights Are Your Children Exposed To?

There is a strong relationship between the type of indoor lighting and the health and learning capabilities of children.

In fact, research shows that replacing fluorescent lights with full-spectrum lighting in schools makes a huge difference: 

➤ Better growth — Researchers in Canada examined the effects of different types of lighting on the growth of elementary school children. Children attending a school with lights containing UV rays showed the best growth.21

➤ Improved school performance — In this same study, children attending school under full-spectrum lights also performed better academically.

➤ Less hyperactivity — The light environment in schools plays a role in children’s behavior and learning abilities. Time-lapse photography has been used to show that children became calmer under full-spectrum lights and more hyperactive under normal fluorescent lights. 22

Your Children Thrive in Schools with Full-Spectrum Lighting In 1973, Dr. John Ott conducted a study with the Environmental Health and Light Research Institute in first grade classrooms in Sarasota, Florida. Full-spectrum lights were installed in two windowless classrooms… Then normal fluorescent fixtures were installed in two identical windowless classrooms. Time-lapse cameras took pictures of the children.

Children under regular lights showed: 

▪ Fatigue and irritability

▪ Hyperactivity and attention deficit

Children under full spectrum lights had:

▪ Better academic performance—learning and reading improved

▪ A calmer demeanor

▪ One third the cavities of the others

Bring the Sun into Your Home

When it comes to getting the vitamin D that your body needs, your best source, of course, is natural sunlight. Yet we’ve discovered a wealth of benefits for the new technology full-spectrum lighting.

The research is promising. And it's easy to take advantage of full-spectrum lighting. Begin by doing a “light audit” of your office space and your home space. What kinds of light bulbs do you use? Are they full spectrum?

What about your windows? Are they covered with heavy curtains? Or do you use blinds that make it easy to let light in? Note how many new full spectrum light bulbs you need to replace your old light bulbs.

Write down the kind of bulbs you need (standard lamp, tube bulb, or specialty bulb) and how many of each. Also note the wattage you want. Then go shopping. Your local home improvement store will have what you need.

Next, work on your windows. Are your curtains easy to draw back? Then make a habit of opening them up when you get up in the morning. If not, do some improvements, so that your curtains are either lighter weight or easier to open. Consider adding Venetian blinds to your windows.

They make it easy to let in more light. Your Path to “Super Immunity” and Beyond When my patients take steps to reverse weakened defenses, they develop a deep faith in their immune systems. And that confidence eliminates the fear of infections and uncertainty many are facing in today’s world.

The techniques in this special report are a positive first step. And when you combine them with regular sunlight and vitamin D3 supplementation, you’ll join the group of my patients who use these techniques to build robust immune defenses capable of beating microbial invaders… especially viruses. Over time, you too, will build what I like to call “super immunity.”

Al Sears, MD America’s #1 Anti-Aging Doctor

President/Medical Director, Wellness Research Foundation, Dr. Sears’ Center for Health & Wellness, Primal Force, and AhHa Press, Royal Palm Beach, FL, and Wellness Research and Consulting, Kampala, Uganda After entering private practice, Dr. Sears was one of the first to be board-certified in antiaging medicine.

As a pioneer in this new field of medicine, he is an avid researcher, published author, and enthusiastic lecturer. Dr. Sears is also board-certified as a clinical nutrition specialist (CNS) and a member of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the American College for the Advancement in Medicine (ACAM), the American Medical Association (AMA), the Southern Medical Association (SMA), the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M), and the Herb Research Foundation (HRF).

Dr. Sears is also an ACE-certified fitness trainer. As the founder and director of Wellness Research Foundation, a non-profit research organization, Dr. Sears travels the globe to bring back to his patients the latest breakthroughs in natural therapies.

Trips to Peru, Brazil, India, Jamaica, Uganda, South Africa, Ecuador and Bali have yielded important new discoveries in nutrition, traditional herbal treatments, anti-aging and alternative medicine. Dr. Sears currently writes and publishes the monthly newsletter, Confidential Cures, and the daily email broadcast, Doctor’s House Call, and contributes to a host of other publications in the field.

He has appeared on over 50 national radio programs, ABC News, CNN, and ESPN. Dr. Sears has published numerous books and reports on health and wellness with a readership of millions spread over 163 countries. His bestselling titles include: The Doctor’s Heart Cure, The 12 Secrets to Virility, Rediscover Your Native Fitness, Your Best Health Under the Sun, High-Speed Fat Loss in 7 Easy Steps, P.A.C.E.: The 12-Minute Fitness Revolution, Reset Your Biological Clock, The Ageless Heart, Healing Herbs of Paradise, and The 8th Element: Nature’s Universal Cancer Killer. He is currently working on a new book titled Enter the Age of Regenesis.